The partners of HLGstudio came together because they wanted to build a firm that was highly agile – one that could decisively adapt and rapidly progress forward to stay ahead of the accelerating changes affecting the dynamics of the built environment. After working together for several decades, beginning at Atlanta-based Godwin Associates, and then at Gensler, both Shelly Hughes and Roger Godwin wanted to craft a different type of design firm that was more aligned with the evolving needs of the client. The firm's success has brought the addition of Matt Hayner and Steve Hart to principal leadership in preparation for continued growth.